Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Culture of Lawlessness!

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger loves to talk about roaring down the Pacific Coast Highway on his Harley-Davidson, the wind in his hair. But he acknowledged Tuesday one small problem in that free-as-a-bird scenario: He "never thought about" getting a license to pilot his hog, which police say he's been driving illegally -- apparently for years . . . .

Schwarzenegger was tooling through Los Angeles' Brentwood neighborhood Sunday carrying his 12-year-old son, Patrick, in a sidecar when a motorist backed out of a driveway and a minor accident occurred . . . .

The lack of a proper license means the governor, who recently signed a bill toughening driving laws for teenagers, apparently has been an illegal rider for years. The former movie star, who was involved in a motorcycle accident in Santa Monica in 2001, has reveled in his image as a macho Harley rider since his trademark role in the movie "Terminator" and makes no secret about enjoying weekly rides with motorcycle-loving friends like actor Tom Arnold.

Still, the governor wasn't ticketed when LAPD officers responded to the accident this weekend.

"If you have a valid driver's license, and you're caught driving a motorcycle (without the proper endorsement), it's up to the responding officer's discretion'' to cite a driver, Harding said.

"He wasn't cited. Nothing's going to happen,'' Harding said. "The infraction is not even a misdemeanor.''

Later, however, Los Angeles police Lt. Paul Vernon told the Associated Press that Schwarzenegger does not have the proper license to ride the motorcycle even with a sidecar. Vernon said police referred their findings to the Los Angeles city attorney's office, which will determine whether the governor should be cited for an infraction.

PHOTOS (courtesy of S.F. Chronicle and Reuters): America's bustiest governor after his accident, on Monday (top), and delivering a speech on Tuesday (bottom), after an emergency session with his crack Hollywood makeup team.